Big Machine
by TwiliPrincess049
Summary: Songfic! Set before Tidus' birth, in Zanarkand, with Jecht having a little fun in a blitzball game. Helps if you've heard the song before Big Machine, by the Goo Goo Dolls , but you can do what you want. Hinted JechtXOC. Rated for mild language.


**My first songfic! It probably stinks, but we'll see. It helps if you've heard the song before (Big Machine, by the Goo Goo Dolls--who happen to be the best band in the world), or you can just search it on YouTube or something and play it just for the mood it gives. I've incorporated the lyrics, but they're not going to be at the same time as the song. Read it however you like ;)**

**Blitzball story, again. They're fun to write! This is pretty much set before Tidus was born, and before Jecht found a wife/girlfriend. He's just a young blitzball player right now...  
**

**Disclaimer: No, I do not own FFX. Obviously. Thank you, and please keep all hands and feet inside the vehicle while it is in motion.**

**x.X.x  
**

"Jecht." He gave a smirking grin at the sheer competitive rage on her face.

"Tara."

"Captains, shake hands!" the referee blasted through the microphone, and both of them grabbed hands. He raised his eyebrows at her iron-hard grip, hand constricting around his as if trying to break his fingers.

"Ready to blitz?" he asked, and her eyebrows lowered over her eyes as she whipped her hand away and back-flipped in the water, treading slowly and still staring at him.

"If you are."

_Ecstasy is all you need_

_Living in the big machine, now_

_Oh, you're so vain_

Tara jerked her head at her teammates, sinking into a coiled crouch as the blitzball began to spin, finally launching into the air. Then, everything was a blur.

Jecht, experienced as he was, saw it all. He shot forward like an arrow from a bow, hands curling around the knobby ball of rubber, just as a savage kick sent it spinning the opposite direction into one of the Zanarkand Duggles' arms. Tara glanced at him through narrowed, satisfied eyes.

_Now your world is way too fast, nothing's real and nothing lasts_

_And I'm aware_

_I'm in love but you don't care_

Jecht nodded at her, accepting the silent challenge, and charged again. He knocked into Alese, who was flung limply away like a rag doll, the blitzball floating from his hands.

"Get it!" Jecht yelled, just as Tara collided head-on with one of his players, wrenching the blitzball from her hands. She kicked off and headed for the goal, shooting it from fifty feet away. Jecht smiled to himself, laughing quietly as his goalie kicked it back. A look of outrage lit Tara's eyes, and she turned to retrieve it. That was when the star player of the Zanarkand Abes decided he had had enough.

Kicking forward and swimming like an eel through the water of the sphere pool, he delivered a quick roundhouse kick to Tara's head, enough to make her duck and her grip loosen on the ball.

_Turn your anger into lust_

_I'm still here, but you don't trust at all_

_And I'll be waiting_

Jecht grabbed the little azure-and-white sphere from his rival's hands, and she recovered quick enough to try to chase him.

"Think you're faster, huh?" he asked, grinning, and she surged forward just as Jecht flung the ball at the net. The goalie for the Duggles was no match for the young, powerful star player, and the ball zipped past him. He would save his Jecht Shot for later.

Tara was breathing hard, her irises full of flames as she took her position, eyes locked on the blitzball as it spun, faster and faster until it was shot into the air.

He flipped forward, crashing into Tara, who elbowed his stomach and heaved him back, swimming forward to snag the ball and pass it to another of her teammates.

_Love and sex and loneliness_

_Take what's yours and leave the rest_

_So I'll survive_

Jecht paddled forward to meet him, stealing the ball back and winking at his fuming adversary, on the other side of the sphere pool.

_God, it's good to be alive_

She dolphin-kicked to meet him, snapping his head back with a furious punch and letting another kick fly. Cradling the ball in one arm, Jecht grabbed her leg mid-kick and swung her around, using her to gain momentum enough to propel himself forward and launch the ball into the net.

Tara cursed, recovering and shooting forward in a useless attempt to stop it, but the blitzball had already nestled into the white mesh. Two to zero. She glared at Jecht, who grinned back.

_I'm torn in pieces_

_I'm blind and waiting for_

_My heart is reeling_

_I'm blind and waiting for you_

This time, Jecht grabbed the ball first, and at least four Zanarkand Duggles were trailing him as he swam for the net. Only Tara got in front of him and swung around, kicking him in the ribs and recoiling when his punch missed her cheek by a hairsbreadth. He took that opportunity to dodge around her, but a fist to the base of his neck sent him reeling, stars dancing across his vision.

She grabbed the ball and surged forward, getting as close to the net as she could with three Abes on her tail and shooting with all of the young player's might. It spun into the net, and she narrowed her eyes in approval, swimming back to her position.

_Still in love with all your sins_

_Where you stop and I'll begin_

_And I'll, I'll be waiting_

Now Tara snagged the ball from Jecht's arms as he caught it, and he grabbed her wrist as she turned to pass it. Tara spun back, ready to kick, and Jecht grabbed the ball and ducked. She swore at him, and he smiled mischievously.

"Dirty mouth you got there," he said nonchalantly.

"Only for you," she snarled, making a grab for the ball. He jerked it away, passing backhanded to one of his other players and still blocking Tara.

"I'm honored."

"You should be."

_Living like a house on fire_

_What you fear is your desire_

_It's hard to deal_

Jecht chuckled, and again she tried to dart around him with a growl.

_I still love the way you feel_

He saw, out of the corner of his eye, the ball being shot and snagged by the Duggles' goalie just as it was halfway inside the net, and thrown back out. Tara, apparently, saw it as well, and a look of appalled outrage appeared on her face as the referee called, "Point to the Abes!"

"It wasn't!" she objected loudly, swimming away. "The ball wasn't inside the net!" Some of her teammates nodded in agreement.

"It was," the ref answered, his voice booming over the stadium.

"No, it wasn't! It didn't touch the back mesh!" Tara's voice rose in anger.

"Don't argue with the referee, and just keep playing your damn game," one of the Abes leered at her, and she whipped around and would have hit him had he not ducked.

"Shut the hell up," she countered furiously.

_Now this angry little girl_

_Drowning in this petty world_

_And I'm who you run to_

Their argument might have escalated into a full-fledged fight had the announcer not called with a sigh, "No point to the Abes." Tara nodded, still glaring at the player who had interrupted her, and the game went on.

One of the other Duggles, Lelec, now grabbed the blitzball as it was hurled into the air, and Tara immediately raced to cover his back as he paddled for the goal. Jecht kicked after them both, blocking Lelec, who tried to break. The other captain jumped in, spinning and lashing out with a ferocious back kick that gave her teammate just enough time to shoot. He wasn't powerful, but his shots were always fast, and the ball zipped into the goal before Jecht's goalie had time to block it. Tara smirked to herself.

_Swallow all your bitter pills_

_That's what makes you beautiful_

_You're all or not_

_I don't need what you ain't got_

"Two to two!" the referee yelled, and she nodded at him, glancing at the clock. Thirty seconds left.

"We're winning this," Tara said in a low voice as she passed. Jecht laughed at her.

"Sorry," he answered. "Can't make it happen." Her eyes were slits as she looked back, then paddled to her original place.

_I'm torn in pieces_

_I'm blind and waiting for_

_My heart is reeling_

_I'm blind and waiting for you_

She flipped once, sinking into a crouch again and streamlining up to meet the blitzball as it was launched. Jecht was faster, and loved the brief look of confusion in her eyes as the ball disappeared from her fingers.

"Now you know how I feel when you do that to me," he said to her, winking before paddling off. Tara shot after him, and he kicked at her face as he swam, looking quickly over his shoulder as she avoided it. The clocked ticked down to ten seconds.

Jecht let himself slow down a bit, grinning at Tara before heaving himself up through the water and bouncing the blitzball off one of the poles in the sphere pool and flipping nimbly around to bounce it a couple more times before hurling the ball straight at the net. The Sublimely Magnificent Jecht Shot Mark III, the one he always saved for the end of a game.

The blitzball was enveloped in the net just as the buzzer sounded, ringing out for everyone to hear, and the game ended with three to two. Tara swore, and he gave her a thumbs up. She used a different finger.

The crowd erupted into cheers, and Jecht nodded and filtered slowly into the changing rooms with his team, accepting congratulations and absorbing them all. He shook himself like a dog, carelessly flinging his towel over the rack and stuffing everything into his locker before walking out.

He was met by yet more applause and congratulations, and he laughed. Jecht, after all, was there to see and be seen. He deflected a few invitations to parties and celebrations with the old excuse: "I've got plans," and left the crowd behind. He wouldn't have normally done this--and instead might have spent as much time as he could have basking in the celebration--but he was looking for someone.

He saw her, sitting on the bleachers with a sullen expression and ripping a discarded popcorn bag into shreds of confetti. Jecht chuckled to himself, walking boldly up and nodding at Tara, who muttered something incoherent, ripping her popcorn bag even more savagely.

_I'm blind and waiting for you_

_I'm blind and waiting for you_

_And I can't believe it's coming true_

"Hungry?" he asked.

"For revenge," she answered, chucking the pile of paper shreds as far as she could. Jecht handed her another empty popcorn bag, and she started on that one.

"How about dinner first?" he asked, and Tara looked up.

_God, it's good to be alive_

"Sounds like you're asking me out," she said, raising an eyebrow. Jecht chuckled, masking his nervousness.

"Sure," he answered casually.

_I'm still here and waiting for you_

_And I can't believe it's coming true_

_I'm blind and waiting for you…_

"Dinner sounds good." Tara threw her ripped popcorn bag into the sky, letting it rain down on her. "Let's go."

**x.X.x**

**TADA.**

**I've been told that my writing sometimes sounds like it's "covered in fog," and many times I agree. Remember: first songfic, so don't expect a work of art. **

**Thanks for reading! I would APPRECIATE it if you would REVIEW.**

**It's not like I'm going to come to your house and kill you if you don't...hehe...not at all...I'd never dream of it.....**

**Thanks!  
**


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